Health and Fitness Tips

Health and Fitness Tips - Food Intolerance:


The idea of food intolerance is highly controversial yet gaining in popularity amongst physicians and researchers.


Part of the problem for the slow acceptance of this concept is that the foods most frequently associated with intolerance are often very common (such as dairy and grain products).
Also, the precise meaning of intolerance varies from one practitioner to another and is sometimes confused with food allergy.


Food allergy causes specific immune reactions in the body that can be identified and diagnosed by standard medical tests. Food allergy tends to produce specific symptoms linked to the offending agent (allergen).


In contrast, food intolerance does not provoke the immune system and thus cannot be assessed using allergy tests. Also, the symptoms of food intolerance tend to be relatively vague and nonspecific.


Here is a partial list of common symptoms that are typically linked to food intolerance:

*headache

*fatigue

*depression/ anxiety

*muscle pain

*joint pain

*vomiting

*nausea

*stomach ulcers

*diarrhea

*constipation

*flatulence, etc.


These symptoms can be produced by many causes and are thus not specific to food intolerance. Whereas allergic reactions typically occur almost instantly after provocation, there may be a considerable lapse of time before food intolerance symptoms manifest, making the connection difficult to validate.


There can be numerous reasons why the body cannot tolerate certain foods including: enzyme deficiency resulting from a heredity factor, stress, environmental pollution, and poor nutrition.